Firearm



Feb. 9, 1932. P. A. MESSENIE 1,844,779

FIREARM Filed Dec. 22, 1930 HIS ATTORNEV Patented Feb. 9, 1932 PAUL A. MESSENIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FIREARM Application filed December 22, 1930. Serial No. 504,164.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in firearms, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

It is among the several objects of this invention to provide an improved shotgun in the use of which the shells will not Another object ofthe invention is to arrange the gun in such a manner that the shells or cartridges will be carried in a revolving chamber disposed at the rear of the barrel, this chamber being arranged to carry a comparatively small number of shells which may rapidly be brought into firing position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shotgun particularly adapted for bird hunting and which is so constructed that the weight of the gun will be reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved gun embodying a revolving chamber in which preferably four shells may be housed ready for use, means being provided for bringing these shells individually into firing position without danger of the shells jamming, as frequently happens when using the now commonly used repeating and automatic shotguns.

Since it is well known to hunters that in bird hunting the hunter seldom, if ever, gets an opportunity to shoot the relatively large number of shells that may be carried in an automatic shotgunor in the repeating shotguns now in use, the present invention provides a gun in which the maximum number of shells a bird hunter ever acquires an opportunity to shoot may be carried in a gun of minimum weight, thereby eliminating the unnecessary weight of the automatic and repeating shotguns now in use.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a gun embodying a revolving magazinc in which shotgun shells of different gauges may be used.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved gun which may be conveniently and quickly broken and assembled for use, so as to be conveniently portable.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention in assembled position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention as depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the invention taken substantially on the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the invention taken substantially on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the invention taken substantially on the line 55 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the invention talaen substantially on the line 6-6 in Fig. 3; an

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the means provided by the invention for rotating the revolving magazine.

Referring tothe drawings wherein a preferred form of construction of the invention is illustrated, the invention is generically indicated at 10 and includes the stock 11 which is secured to the breach housing 12 by means of screws 13. The gun 10 consists of two sections, generically indicated at 14 and 15 (Fig. 2) and the meansfor joining these sections so as to place the gun in operative position will now be described.

In this connection, there is provided in the top wall 16 a slot 17 through which projects the sight 18. The sight 18 is formed as a part of a latch arm 19 which includes a tooth 20 that normally projects into a slot 21 in the top wall 16 of the breach, this tooth 20 likewise projecting into a slot, located above the slot 21, in a plate 22 which is mounted on the periphery 34 of the magazine 35. The latch arm 19 is pivotally mounted, as at 23, in a boss 24 that depends from the inner side of the top wall 16 of the breach housing. Having one end secured to the rear end of the latch arm 19, as at 25, and having its other end secured as at 26, to an ear 27 that is provided on a cylinder 28, is a coil spring 29. The cylinder 28 includes a foot portion 30 that is secured, in any suitable manner, to a plate 31 that extends across the forward end of the stock 11.

The front wall of the breach compartment 32 is defined by the wall 33. Depending from the wall 33 is apair of fingers 37. Welded or otherwise suitably mounted on the outside of the magazine housing 34 is a plate 39 which includes, at its rear end, a curved, 'resilient lip 40 which is wrapped around and secured to a pin 38. On the inner side of the bottom wall 36 of the'breach housing 12 aplate 41 is provided which includes a lug 42 that depends through a slot 43 in the wall 36. Extending upwardly from the plate 41 is a pin 44 and on this pin 44 is' a spring 45. Having a foot portion secured to the rear side of the front-wall 33 of the breach compartment 32 is a bracket 46, through an opening in which the pin 44-is extended. It will, therefore, be apparent that when the herein: before described devices are disposed as in Fig. 2, the breach section 14 of the gun'will be securely joined to the section'15 which includes the magazine, barrel, and other mechanisms to be described hereinafter. However, when it is desired to break the gun, the sight 18 is depressed, which will disengage the tooth 20 from the slot 21 in the plate 22, the arm 19 pivoting at 23. When the tooth 20 is depressed, the lug 42 is pressed inward-- ly, against the action ofthe spring 45, to permit the lip 40 and the pin 38 being moved slightly toward the butt end of the end gun, past the upraised lug 42. In this manner, the section 15 which includes the barrel, magazine 35, and other mechanisms to be described hereinafter, may be separated from the stock and breach, and the gun thereby rendered conveniently portable. To look the two sections of the gun, the lug 42 is raised against the action of spring 45, the lip 40 is inserted between the fingers 37 so as to engage the pin 38 with the fingers 37, and the lug 42 is then released so as to prevent release of the pin 38 from the fingers 37. The pin 38 acting as a hinge, the section 15 and the section 14 are then moved toward each other until the tooth 20 engages the slot in the plate 22, the tooth 20 being urged outwardly by the spring 29. j 7

'A trigger guard 47 is provided on the lower wall 36 of the breach. On the inside of the wall 36 is a boss 48 on which is'pivotally mounted, as at 49, a trigger 50. Provided on the trigger 50 is apin 51 which is disposed in a slot 52 that is-provided in an arm 53, the arm 53 being pivotally mounted, as at 54 on a boss 55 on the wall 31. Having one end secured to the arm 53 and the other end secured to a boss 56 on the cylinder 28 1s a spring 57 which normally urges the arm 53 and its cam face 58 upwardly for reasons to be made apparent presently.

Slidably mounted in the cylinder 28 is a piston 59 which is normally urged toward the magazine 35 by the spring 60. Diametrically opposed slots 61 are provided in the cylinder 28. Extended through the slots 61 and through a slot in the piston 59 is a hammer arm 62 which is pivotally mounted in the piston 59 by a pin 63. On the lower end of'the hammer arm 62 is a cam face 64 which is adapted to be engaged by the cam face 58, for-reasonsto be made apparent presently. On the upper end of the hammer arm 62 a hammer 65 is provided. A cup 66 is provided on the rear side of the wall 33 and disposed in'this cup is a firing, pin 67 on which is a coil spring 68 that is disposed forwardly of a shoulder 69. The firing pin 67 includes a portion 67 which normally extends rearwardly of the cup 66 so as to be engaged by the hammer 65, in a manner to be explained presently.

The magazine 35 includes a core 70 and provided in the magazine, in the present instance, are four cartridge chambers 71 in which shotgun shells 72 are indicated. Extending through the core 70 is a bore 73 and slidable in this bore is a plunger 74. A plurality of fingers 75 (in the present instance four) are defined on the forward end of the core 70 and these fingers define cam surfaces 76. Fixed to the plunger 74 and slidable v therewithin 'a tube 77 is a cam 78 which includes a plurality (four) of fingers 79 on which are defined cam surfaces 80 (Fig. 7 The plunger 74 is slidable in the tube 77, through a bearing collar 81 that is held in position by a screw 82 fixed on'the wall of the tube 77 (Fig. 2). Provided in the wall of the tube 77 (Fig. 2) are slots 83 and 84 in which are movable the heads of screws 85 and 86 that extend into a hand grip 87. Secured to the plunger 74, by a pin 88, so as to be movable in the tube 77 with the plunger 74, is a collar 89 into the lower side of which is threaded a screw 90 that extends through the hand grip 87 and through a slot 91 formed in the wall of the tube 77. A coil spring 92 is disposed around the plunger 74 between the bearing collar 81 and the collar 89.

On the end of the core 70 opposite the fingers 75, fingers 93 (four in number) are provided and these fingers define cam surfaces 94. A cam'head 95 is formed in the rear end of the plunger 74 (Figs. 2 and7) and this head 95 includes a plurality of fingers 96 which define cam surfaces 97.

A supporting link 102 extends about the barrel 98 andthe tube 77 adjacent the forward end of the tube 77. The outer or forward end of the tube 77 is threaded to receive a plug 103 which carries on its inner end a pair of spring jaws 104 that releasably engage the tapered end 74 of the plunger 74.

In use, the gun is broken in the manner hereinbefore described, and the shells 72 are inserted into'the chambers 71 in the magazine 35, after which the gun is assembled in the manner described hereinbefore. The parts of the gun will then be disposed substantially as shown in Fig. 2, with one of the chambers 71 aligned with the inner end of the barrel 98. Assuming that it is desired to fire the shell 72 in the chamber thus aligned with the barrel 98, the operator squeezes the trigger 50 which, through its pin and slot connection with the arm 53, lowers the arm 53 against the action of the spring 57, the trigger 50 pivoting at 49 and the arm 53 pivoting at 54. Thus lowering the arm 53 causes the cam edge 58 thereof to engage the cam edge 64 of the hammer arm 62 and this pivots the hammer arm 62 about the pin 63 which retracts the hammer from the firing pin portion 67 In case it is desired to prevent movement of the trigger 50, and the cocking of the hammer 65 as described above, a safety button 105 is provided and this button includes a head portion 106, and a hand portion 107 (Fig. 4) between which head portions is a constricted portion 108 that is slidable in a slot 109 in the lower wall 36 of the breach housing 12. A shoulder 110 is defined on the trigger 50, and it being understood that the safety button 105 is disposed in the positionof Fig. 2, when unlocked, it will be seen that when the safety button is moved rearwardly so as to position the head 106 of the safety button under the shoulder 110, the trigger 50 cannot be squeezed so as to cock the hammer since in this case the shoulder 110 will engage the head 106 of the safety and prevent movement of the trigger 50. Obviously, moving the safety 105 forwardly into the position of Fig. 2, will release the trigger 50.

The hammer 65 having been cocked, in the manner described above, it is apparent that when the trigger 50 is released the spring 57 will draw the arm 53 upwardly which will engage the cam edges 58 and 64 and pivot the hammer arm 62 so as to move the hammer 65 against the end 67 of the firing pin which will force the inner end of the firing pin into engagement with the cap of the shell and thereby explode the shell, the firing pin 67 being retracted by the spring 68.

WVhen it is desired to revolve the magazine 35, the operator grasps the hand grip 87 with his left hand (assuming he is right handed) and slides the grip 87 toward the magazine, the screws 85,90 and 86 sliding in the slots 83, 91 and 84. This causes the piston 89 to move the plunger 74 rearwardly, compressing the spring 92 and releasing the end portion- 74 from between the laws 104. Rearward movement of the plunger 74 engages the fingers 79 of the cam 78 with the fingers 75 of the core 70, the cam surfaces 80 of the fingers 79 engagingthe cam surfaces 76 of the fingers 7 5, and, since the -fingers 75 are formed as a part of the core 7 0, and since the core is rigidly secured to the magazine 35, the magazine 35 is rotated ina counterclockwise direction as seen looking in from the right hand end of Fig. 2. 'During this rearward movement of the plunger 70 and consequent rotationof the magazine 35, the cam head 95 is moved rearwardly with the plunger 74, moving the piston 59 rearwardly against the action of the-spring 60, and cooking the hammer 65, the tooth 111 of the arm 62 engaging the shoulder 112 of the arm 53, thereby preventing the piston 59 and the hammer arm 62 from moving forwardly when the hand grip 87 is released. Release of the grip 87 'causesthe spring 92 to move the plunger 74 forwardly, and this forward movement of the plunger 74 interlocks the fingers 96 of the head 95 with the fingers 93 of the core 70. This interlocking of the fingers 96' with the fingers 93 aligns one of the chambers 71 of the magazine with the barrel 98, and completes the proper degree of rotation of the magazine caused by the interlocking of the fingers 7 9 with the fingers 7 5, it being apparent that for a four chamber magazine the magazine 35 must be rotated one quarter of a revolution each time a shell is fired. There being some play between the fingers 79 and the fingers 75, it has been found that the interlocking of these fingers will not quite make a quarter turn of themagazine but that this quarter turn will be completed by the engagement of the fingers 96 with the fingers 93.

Manifestly, by varying the number of fingers 79 and the number of fingers the number of chambers in the magazine may be varied, since the number of fingers 79 is equal 1 to the number of chambers 71 in the magazine 35.

To accommodate shells of various sizes in the chambers 71 I provide blanks 113 (Fig. 6) which fit "into the chambers 71 and these blanks 113 may be made in various sizes. In Fig. 6, for example, a twelve gauge shell is disposed in one chamber 71 of the magazine, while a twenty gauge shell 115 is disposed in the blank 113 within one of the other chambers 71, the blanks 113 being removable from the chambers 71.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the present invention provides a shotgun which will not jam in use, which may be made light, and which may be used for any type of shot, while being conveniently portable and arranged so as not to carry an unnecessarily large number of shells when it is common experience that in bird hunting the hunter seldom has an opportunity of firing at one time more than three shells.

WVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eifect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A firearm comprising a barrel, a rotative magazine including chambers, slidable means, means on the magazine engaged by certain elements of the slidable means to romm the magazine and successively bring the chambers into partial alignment with the barrel, and means in the magazine engaged by other elements of the .slidable means to complete said alignment and center the chambers successively with the barrel.

2. A firearm comprising a barrel, firing means, a rotatable magazine including a plurality of chambers anda central core, fingers on the front end of said core defining cam surfaces, and means for rotating said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel, said last named means including a tube disposed below said barrel, a plunger slidably mounted in said tube and through said core, and including fingers on said plunger defining cam surfaces engageable with said first named cam surfaces.

3. A firearm comprising a barrel, firing means. a rotatable magazine including a plurality of chambers and a central core, fingers on the front end of said core defining cam surfaces, means for rotating said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel, said last named means including a tube disposed below said barrel, a plunger slidably mounted in said tube and through said bore, including fingerson said plunger defining cam surfaces engageable with said first named cam surfaces, fingers on the rear end of said core defining cam surfaces, and yieldable means on the rear end of said plunger including fingers engaging with said last named fingers on forward movement of said plunger to lock said magazine with one of said chambers aligned with said barrel.

.4. A firearm including a breach section and a magazine section, means for detachably interconnecting said sections, and comprising a barrel, firing means, a rotatable magazine including a plurality of chambers and a central core, fingers on the front end of said core defining cam surfaces, and means for rotating said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel, said last named means including a tube disposed below said barrel, a plunger slidably mounted in said tube and through said core, and including fingers on said plunger defining cam surfaces engageable withsaid first named cam surfaces.

5. A firearm including a breach section and a magazine section, means for detachably interconnecting said sections, and comprising a barrel, firing means in said breach section including a trigger, a hammer arm, a firing pin, a rotatable magazine including a plurality of chambers and a central core, fingers on the front end of said core defining cam surfaces, and means for rotating said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel, said last named means including a tube disposed below said barrel, a plunger slidably mounted in said tube and through said core, and including fingers on said plunger defining cam surfaces engageable with said first named cam surfaces and'means operable by rearward movement of said plunger for cooking said hammer arm.,

6. A firearm comprising a barrel, a rotatable magazine including a plurality of chambers, cams rotatable with the magazine firing means, slidable means including cams adapted to engage said first-named cams and rotate said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel, and removable means slidably insertable into said chambers for varying the diameter of shells receivable in said chambers. V

7. A firearm comprising a barrel, firing means, a rotative magazine including chambers, cams carried by said magazine, and

means for rotating said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel, said last mentioned means including a plunger slidably carried by said barrel, and including cams on said plunger engageable with said first-named cams.

8. A firearm comprising a barrel, firing means, a rotative magazine including chambers, cams on said magazine at the front and rear ends thereof, means for rotating said magazine to successively align said chambers with said barrel including a slidable member and means on the slidable member engageable with said front end cams, and means on said slidable member engageable with said rear end cams to lock said magazine in firing position. v

9. A firearm comprising a barrel, a rotative magazine including chambers, slidable means, means on the magazine engaged by certain elements of the slidable means for rotating the magazine and the chambers successively into alignment with the barrel, and means on the magazine engaged by other elements of the slidable means for locking the magazine in firing position and a chamber in centered position with respect to the barrel.

10. A firearm, comprising a barrel, a rotative magazine including chambers, cam faces on the front and rear ends of the magazine, a slidable member carried by the barrel,

cams on the slidable member adapted to engage said front end cams and successively rotate the chambers substantially into alignment with the barrel, and other cams on the slidable member adapted to engage said rear end cams to complete said alignment.

11. A firearm comprising a barrel, a rotative magazine including chambers, slidable means, means on the magazine engaged by certain elements of said slidable means when the slidable means are moved in one direction, to rotate the magazine and successively bring the chambers into partial alignment with the barrel, and means on the magazine engaged by other elements of the slidable means when the latter are moved in a direction opposite the first-named direction, to complete said alignment and center the chambers successively with the barrel.

12. A firearm comprising a barrel, a rotative magazine including chambers, slidable means, means on the magazine engaged by certain elements of said slidable means when the slidable means are moved in one direction, to rotate the magazine and successively bring the chambers into substantially, but not quite complete, alignment with the barrel, and means on the magazine engaged by other elements of the slidable means when the latter are moved in a direction opposite the first-named direction, to complete said alignment and center the chambers successively with the barrel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PAUL A. MESSENIE. 

